The AAU of OFI
by FanficwriterGHC
Summary: SPOILERS FOR "OF FINDING INNOCENCE." This is an alternate take on the events as they could have happened post chapter 30 of "Of Finding Innocence." A different sort of family emerges, and Kate has to learn to live with the past and present.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: The AAU of OFI**

**Disclaimer: Nothing this meta could EVER be canon.**

**Summary: SPOILERS FOR **_**OF FINDING INNOCENCE.**_** DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ PAST CHAPTER 31. **

**That said, this is a collection of one-shots from the "What-if"-verse of **_**Of Finding Innocence**_**, my AU Castle fanfiction. In chapter 30, Rick and Alexis get into a car accident, and we find out that Rick has gone into surgery. It ends with Kate hoping that he lives, so she can show him the engagement ring.**

**In THIS version, he doesn't live. And these little snippets are the aftermath. There is a dream sequence in Chapter 31 that, over-dramatically, has Meredith taking Alexis to California. In this version, that happened, just without the big bodyguards.**

**So, the premise: Kate and Martha immediately filed for joint custody for Alexis, but Meredith still got to take her back to California, and they aren't sure when they'll get to see her. **

**This will be a collection of one-shots, out of temporal order, as they pop into my head. I don't know how many there will be or when I'll update. But I know people were interested, and frankly, it's an idea that intrigues me. This won't interrupt my progress on OFI; it's just another, darker, outlet for my writing. So, here goes:**

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><p>"Kate?" Martha said quietly, knocking on the doorjamb into the bedroom.<p>

Kate turned her head and blinked at the older woman, haloed in the light that poured in behind her from the office. The room itself was dark and musty. She hadn't changed the sheets in two weeks. She couldn't let herself wash away that last part of him. Hell, she was curled up in a ball in his sweats and button down; she couldn't do this at all. She hadn't figured out how to get up everyday without needing to sob as she caught sight of his tie, or his sneaker, or the open tube of toothpaste she hadn't touched in two weeks. She'd just opened a new one. It was like he still lived there, but everything was gathering dust, unused, untouched, unloved—just like her.

"Martha, hi," she rasped, pulling herself together enough to sit up. "I thought you'd gone out."

Martha gave her a soft smile. "I was about to, but I found something waiting for me downstairs, and I thought I should bring it up so you could see."

Kate just stared at her, until she caught sight of a small hand clutching at Martha's side. "Al…Alexis?" she whispered. It couldn't be.

It took all of four seconds to see her and then feel her catapulting herself up onto the bed, flying into Kate's arms with enough force to send them sprawling backward. Kate clutched the little girl to her, disbelief and joy and confusion and elation warring within her at equal measure.

"Alexis, baby, what are you doing here?" she whispered. "I'm so happy to see you. I've missed you so much. What are you doing here?" she worked out, the questions falling between smacking kisses and tight, almost aggressive hugs shared between them.

"Mommy came back to the city and," she broke off to squeeze Kate around the neck as she sat up, pulling the girl into the vee her legs created.

"And?" Kate asked gently. They hadn't been sure when they'd get to see her again. She and Martha had filed for partial custody together, but those things took time. Kate had resigned herself to living in the loft without anyone, and now she had the most important thing in the world in her lap.

"And she said that she was leaving me here while she went to a meeting, but Momma?"

"Yes, honey?" Kate replied, feeling a tear trail down her cheek at 'Momma.'

"We brought all of my stuff," she whispered, looking up at Kate with so much hope that it nearly broke my heart. "Can I stay? Please let me stay. I miss you."

"Oh, sweetheart, I miss you too," she sighed, running her fingers over the girl's cheeks. "I miss you so much."

"Can't I stay? I don't want to go back to California."

Kate looked over at Martha, who was watching them with a sad smile. She slowly walked over and settled next to Kate, who scooted over so they could all fit together on the bed.

"It smells like Daddy," Alexis offered as Kate pulled the blanket up over their legs.

She smiled for the first time in at least three days. "I know."

"Meredith left this with the doorman," Martha said quietly, handing a note to Kate as she ran a hand through Alexis' hair.

Kate opened the small envelope with trembling fingers and slipped the note out, holding it close enough to read in the dim light.

_Kate,_

_ Alexis is miserable in California. I've been offered a role in a major picture, and I need to take it. She can't come with me, as we'll be on location and moving for a few months. Would you be willing to have her live with you for that time? _

_ I'll be by later tonight to discuss it. She's doing well enough, for all that's happened. But she's missed you, and I'm not above realizing that she'd be happier with you. _

_ See you soon,_

_ Meredith._

Kate stared at the note while Martha read it over her shoulder. She heard the matriarch let out a small gasp and her hand tensed on Kate's forearm.

"What's it say, Momma?" Alexis asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.

Kate looked from the note to the little girl and back. "It says you get to stay here for at least a couple of months, Alexis," she told her honestly. Though, if Kate had any say in the matter, Alexis would be staying with them forever, and could go visit _Meredith_ every so often, instead of the other way around.

"Really?" she whispered excitedly. "I get to stay!"

"At least for a few months, Sweetie," Kate reiterated. She desperately wanted to tell her she could stay forever, but there was no guarantee of that, and she didn't want to get the girl's hopes up.

Alexis rammed into her in a fierce hug and Kate wrapped her in her arms, bending down to bury her face in the girl's hair while Martha's arms wound around them both. It was wonderful to be wrapped up in her family, but as she glanced to her right, she realized she expected to see Rick standing over the bed with a smile. She expected to see him crawl across the sheets to add himself to their group, engulfing them in his warm, firm embrace, kissing her cheek and burying his face in _her_ hair. She expected to feel him kissing her neck and whispering something completely inappropriate into her ear.

Instead, she saw the dull gray of the sky out the window and the bedside table with his alarm clock and a half-empty glass of water exactly where he'd left them. Instead, she saw the hole that had been ripped into their lives. But they had Alexis now. They wouldn't give her back. She was staying. That much was clear. Whatever she had to do, she'd get to keep this girl. She couldn't lose her now that she had her back. Because if Meredith took her away again, Kate wasn't sure that she'd ever get back up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: The AAU of OFI**

**Disclaimer: Seriously, it's a story within a story about fictional characters that aren't mine.**

**Summary: Rick Castle died two years ago, tomorrow. **

**Author's note: Here's the second one-shot, because the first was already on Tumblr. Enjoy?  
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><p>"Alexis?" Kate called softly, walking into the dark office. "Honey?"<p>

"Oh, hey," Alexis sniffed, turning her head a bit so that Kate could see the side of her cheek. "You're home."

"I told you I would be," Kate said gently, walking over to the safe and punching the code in before depositing her gun and badge. She stood slowly and walked around to kneel in front of her daughter. "Hey."

Alexis met her eyes with red-rimmed, puffy blue ones. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Kate reached up and brushed a piece of hair that had fallen out of the girl's messy braid.

"Live without your mom," she whispered. "Because it's been two years and I still miss him, Mom. I still think about him every day and I can't make it stop and summer's almost here, and I don't care. I just don't care!"

"Oh, honey," Kate sighed, taking her hands and running circles over the backs of her palms.

"And I want him back. I want him to walk through the door and say we're going to the Hamptons for the weekend."

Kate nodded sadly. "I want that too." More than anything, she wanted that.

Alexis squeezed her hands. "You were supposed to have kids, and we were going to be this…this really happy family, and I just…"

"I know," Kate breathed. "Oh, Alexis. I know."

"How do you do it?" she expelled, following the question with a sob.

Kate stood and tugged on her hands until Alexis followed suit. She guided her into her bedroom and then pulled them both down onto the bed. Alexis turned around and Kate wrapped herself around the girl, who wasn't such a little girl anymore.

"When my mom died, my dad became an alcoholic," Kate began, hoping that something she said would give Alexis some sort of comfort. "And I was much older than you."

"But you still get up everyday, and you've lost Dad too. Why can't I stop missing him, Mom?"

"Honey, do you think I don't still miss your dad?"

Alexis shook her head. "I know you do."

Kate kissed the top of her head and sighed. "I miss your father every day, Alexis. And there's nothing that we can do about missing him."

"So it's hopeless?" Alexis cut in, snuffling as more tears poured down her cheeks.

"No," Kate soothed. That wasn't what she'd meant. "No, sweetie. I meant that we'll always miss him, but maybe it's time to start…" she trailed off. She wasn't saying what she meant, because this always gummed her up. Here she was, two grievous deaths 'under her belt,' and she couldn't find the words to comfort her kid. "You will always miss your father," she said quietly. "But someday, you'll wake up, and you'll be able to think about him and smile, and those everyday memories will be happy, instead of sad."

"We laugh about dad sometimes," Alexis offered.

"Your dad was funny," Kate whispered. "He was hysterical, and fun, and brave, and strong, and loving, and kind, and handsome, and amazing, Alexis. And I know I'll never stop missing him, and you won't either, but maybe we can try to turn some of that into remembering, hmm?" There. She'd finally made her brain work out something worthwhile.

"I don't know that I can, Momma," Alexis whispered on an uneven breath. God, she hadn't called her Momma in the longest time.

"It takes time, Lex," Kate told her, running a hand along her cheek. "It takes time, and it will happen. You just need to be open to it."

"Two years isn't enough time?" Alexis asked, turning her head to look at Kate.

Kate gave her a sad smile and then pointed to the armoire in the closet. "You know, some days, when I wake up and I stumble over to the dresser, I see the little burn along the right side of the top drawer."

"Are you about to go all Detective on me?" Alexis grumbled.

Kate laughed quietly. "No, but thank you for the confidence."

"Anytime." Alexis squeezed her hand and Kate soldiered onward.

"One morning when I was trying to get ready for work, when you were eight, your Dad got up to use the bathroom and then came over to help me get ready."

"Is this going to get icky?"

"Can I finish my story?" Kate asked, poking her in the side.

"Sorry, sorry," Alexis giggled. Good, she was laughing. This poor girl.

"So, he comes over and wraps his arms around my waist, and I drop my curling iron. It falls and burns the drawer, and then narrowly misses your dad's foot."

"Clumsy?" Alexis whispered, apparently caught up in the memory now, just like Kate was.

"Of both of us," she agreed. "But you know, some mornings, I get ready, and I see that burn, and I smile. Those mornings, I look in the mirror and I see the laugh lines he gave me, even at 24, and I see the ring on my chest, and I'm so grateful to have gotten that time with him," she recounted in a low, soft voice.

Alexis shifted and found her hand. "And other mornings?"

"Do you ever notice that I sometimes take two showers?" Kate whispered.

"I thought maybe you left conditioner in," Alexis nodded slowly.

Kate kissed her cheek. Honesty would help them both, and she'd been keeping this secret for too long, apparently. "Some mornings, I see that burn and I can almost feel your dad's arms around me, and then I burst into tears."

"Mom," Alexis gasped, trying to turn around. Kate held her tight and rocked them both a bit.

"No, no, honey," she smiled sadly. "I just mean that even I have trouble remembering instead of missing all the time. And he was your father, Alexis. I know he was the love of my life, but you had him for six and a half more years than I did, and I _know_ what it feels like to lose a parent."

"I want him back, Momma," Alexis breathed. "So much. And I…" she turned over and looked up to meet Kate's eyes. "I'm so happy and lucky that I have you."

Kate smiled. "But I'm not your Dad," she finished for her.

Alexis nodded slowly. "You're my Mom, and I love you, and…and…and we were supposed to be a family," she sobbed, scooting forward so Kate could wrap her arms around her.

"I know," Kate whispered. "And I know it's not the same, but we _are_ a family, munchkin—you, me, your Gram and my Dad. We're a family. And yeah, we're missing a pretty important member, but we've got each other, right?"

Alexis nodded against her chest. "But I still…"

Kate let out a slow breath, feeling tears sting at the corners of her own eyes as she looked at her bedside, where a picture of the three of them still sat. It was from not long after she'd moved in. Alexis was sitting between her legs as she sat between Rick's legs while he rested back against the couch. They were all laughing and Rick was leaning his head on her shoulder so he could wrap his arms around both of them.

She'd boxed up everything else, but she hadn't been able to put that picture away. "I miss him too," she told her daughter. "But somewhere, you know, he's watching us, and smiling that special smile he always had whenever we did _anything_."

"Because he liked that we loved each other, right?" Alexis asked, scooting back so they could see each other.

"He loved that we loved each other," Kate corrected. "He had a whole Kate-and-Alexis brag book."

Alexis smiled and reached up to rub one of her eyes. "Thank you for taking care of me," she said quietly.

"Oh, Alexis," Kate sighed, taking one of her smaller hands and placing it over her heart. "Do you remember what I told you when you stayed with us for three months before your other Mom and I worked things out?" Alexis nodded but bit her lip. "Tell me," Kate ordered, smiling at her.

Alexis smiled back and took a breath. "You said that no matter what, and whose blood was whose, I was your daughter, and that's what's in here," she finished, tapping her finger against Kate's chest, just above her heart.

Kate nodded. "So don't thank me for taking care of you. I'm not taking care of you. I'm loving you, and being your family."

"I know," Alexis whispered. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, honey," Kate chuckled. "Just believe me."

"I do," Alexis told her.

Kate smiled. "Good." For two years and scars too many to count, she'd take it. She knew Alexis knew she loved her as her own flesh and blood. She just needed to hear it every now and again, and Kate would tell her as many times as she needed to until it stuck.

They were quiet for a few minutes as Alexis picked at the comforter and Kate watched her daughter in the dim, late-afternoon light that poured in from the window. "Mom?" Alexis whispered.

"Yes, honey?"

"Can we…can we go to the Hamptons house tomorrow?" she asked timidly.

"Of course we can," Kate replied instantly. She wouldn't deny Alexis anything tomorrow. "Should we stop and see your Dad first, or do it when we come home?"

A tear dripped down the girl's nose. "First, so we can tell him."

"Okay," Kate nodded, reaching out to dry the trail the tear left behind. "And you should tell him about that science project you did that won first place," she added, smiling. He'd have been so proud. Kate was. Their daughter was brilliant.

"Then you have to tell him about the triple homicide from last week," Alexis countered.

Kate shook her head. She didn't want to, only because the silence after her story would just be an aching gap where hundreds of questions should have been. But for her daughter? Anything.

"Deal," Kate decided, sticking out her hand.

Alexis took hers, and they shook, before Kate pounced and began tickling her. Alexis shrieked and tried to escape, laughing and wriggling. They fought until they were panting, lying on their backs and staring up at the ceiling. Alexis found her hand and Kate wrapped the smaller one in hers, squeezing gently.

"I love you, Mommy," Alexis whispered.

"I love you too, Alexis," Kate replied turning her head to meet her daughter's gaze. "And we're going to be just fine. You'll see."

Alexis smiled and scooted over to lay her head on Kate's shoulder. "Can we take the Ferrari?"

Kate snorted. "Do we have to?"

"Why not?" Alexis grinned into her shoulder. "Come on, you know Dad would laugh."

Kate smiled. If it made Alexis think about her father without crying, she'd do it. And really, she'd always coveted it. "Sure, kid. We'll take the Ferrari and blast the radio too loud."

"And swim in water that's too cold," Alexis added.

"And push each other in the pool," Kate continued, pulling her closer.

"And just be, right?"

"Yes," Kate sighed. "We'll just be, and the rest will come." They just needed time.

Alexis snuggled into her. "If I fall asleep on you, will you be mad?" she whispered, bunching her hand into Kate's button down.

"No," Kate smiled, pulling out the tie to Alexis' braid and trailing her fingers through her hair. "Whatever you need, munchkin. And pillow, I can be."

"Love you," Alexis mumbled.

"Love you too, kid," Kate sighed, closing her own eyes.

For just a moment, it felt like someone was there with them, throwing an arm across her stomach so that his big warm hand could rest on Alexis' side as she nestled into Kate's body. It felt like his hot breath was against her neck, his lips skating up to kiss the corner of her mouth.

Then he was gone. She opened her eyes to stare up at the ceiling, and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: The AAU of OFI**

**Disclaimer: Real shows have SOME sense of linear development, and can't get away with an AU for their AU. **

**Summary: This takes place four years after the second chapter. This particular chapter is kind of T rated, I guess. But it's lighter than the other two, I promise.**

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><p>Kate pulled her slacks out of the dryer and hung them up on the hook, deciding to iron later, since she'd already done the dishes and laundry, and had interrogated a pedophile on top of it all. She sighed and rubbed at the back of her neck as she made her way down the upstairs hallway, trying to decide whether or not she should bother shaving in the shower she desperately wanted to take.<p>

She peeked into Alexis' room as she reached the top of the stairs and stopped to watch as her daughter turned in front of her mirror, wearing her uniform skirt and a white tank top, frowning at her reflection. Kate leaned against the doorjamb and smiled softly. Alexis looked so grown up, hair piled onto the back of her head in a careless, yet stylish bun Kate could take credit for teaching her. She was getting taller, lankier, and more muscular, with the hint of womanhood starting to grace her face. And she was only 14.

Alexis turned again and considered her profile, the crease between her eyebrows deepening as she pushed her chest out. Kate was caught between the desire to laugh and the desire to hug her kid. She remembered doing _just_ that at Alexis' age, and she'd frowned the same way, and yes, she'd sighed just like that.

"Hey," she said quietly, smiling as Alexis whipped around.

"Hi," she sighed, shifting back and forth on her feet in agitation.

"You look annoyed," Kate offered, pushing off from the wall to walk into the room and stand next to Alexis as she turned back to consider her reflection in the mirror. "What's up?"

"Mom, do you think I'll ever grow boobs?" she asked, turning to the side again and letting out a sigh so befitting of her 14 years.

Kate couldn't help but laugh a little. "Of course you will," she promised, watching as Alexis swiveled to her other side to look at her profile dejectedly. "Honey, what's this all about? You're not usually this concerned with your looks."

Alexis liked to get dolled up, just like any other woman, but she was generally much more concerned with studying, coffee, and trying to get Kate to let her help solve crimes. The girl in question bit her lip and glanced up at Kate.

"Spill, girlie," Kate prompted, nudging her with her hip.

Alexis let out a loud breath. "Okay. Do you remember Jimmy? I told you about him, right?"

"The cute boy from your gym class," Kate recalled. "Tall, dark and junior?"

Alexis nodded. "We had this amazing conversation yesterday about Shakespeare and he mentioned that he was thinking about going to the winter formal, you know? And I thought…" she trailed off, turned to the side again, and then threw up her hands.

"Hey, Lex," Kate said gently, taking her hands. "What's the matter, honey?"

"I thought he was going to ask me, and then this morning he was making out with Samantha Herst, another freshman. And Paige said that Derek told her Jimmy said that I was brilliant and really cute, but that…" she hung her head. "That I wasn't as pretty as Sam, and that Sam's a D, and I'm not even an A."

Was it illegal to arrest young guys for being assholes? It probably was. Oh, Alexis. Kate sighed and tugged the girl in for a hug. Alexis came willingly and Kate was reminded of a similar moment nearly sixteen years earlier, when she herself had a 'Jimmy' who'd liked a 'Sam' because she had bigger breasts.

"Well, he's an idiot," she said firmly, pulling away enough to look down at Alexis. "Any guy who's willing to pass you up for a pair of premature breasts he won't even know how to work is not worth your time."

Alexis giggled and smiled as Kate cupped her cheek. "Yeah," she sighed after a moment. "I just," she turned in Kate's arms and they stared at their reflection together. "I wish I looked more like you."

Kate gaped and then met Alexis' eyes in the mirror. "We'll get to how gorgeous you are, just as you are, in a minute," she promised, watching as Alexis rolled her eyes. They were the same in that habit, for sure. "But honey, I'm pretty small in the breast department, you know."

"But…but you're _gorgeous_," Alexis argued. "And guys are totally falling all over you. You can't tell me that…" she took a deep breath and let it out. "That Tyler looks at other women when he's got you across the table."

Tyler was her fairly steady date-buddy of the last two months. Alexis had grudgingly, and through more trauma than either of them could really handle, come to terms with the fact that Kate was _dating_. And Kate had come to the realization that, even though she was _dating_, she wasn't fully ready for anything real yet. Tyler, her second try, was lovely, and handsome, and funny. He was smart and well read, and he took her to great restaurants when they went out once or twice a week. But he wasn't Rick, and it would be a long time before he ever set foot in their home.

Alexis, however, had demanded that she tell her about him, once she'd found a way to handle the fact that there was a _him_ to begin with. Slowly, she was growing more curious, especially as she began making her own forays into the dating world, starting with this jerk of a Jimmy kid.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Kate asked, watching as Alexis narrowed her eyes.

"Shoot."

"All men look at breasts," Kate said matter-of-factly.

"That's not true," Alexis exclaimed. "You're seriously telling me Tyler, or any man you've been out with has taken his eyes off of _you_ to look at a pair of bigger boobs?"

Kate kissed the side of her head. "Alexis, even your father, the most amazing man and boyfriend ever, turned his head for a huge pair occasionally."

Alexis was quiet for a moment, her eyes wide, until she opened her mouth and wet her lips. "Did you punch him?"

Kate laughed and swayed them from side to side. "Once or twice," she admitted. "But most of the time, I just shrugged it off."

"Why? He shouldn't have been looking at anyone but you!" Alexis said angrily. "That's not okay."

"As touched as I am by your retroactive anger at your Dad, Lex," Kate interjected, thoroughly amused. "I didn't begrudge him it." Alexis raised her eyebrows. "Men like breasts," Kate offered. "They're mysterious and there, and I'm pretty sure there's a biological aspect to it as well."

"Great," Alexis mumbled. "What's that?"

"Well, men are programmed to go for a woman who looks like she can weather a famine and supply him with lots of babies, and big boobs are usually one of the signs of that. And since we live in a culture where women generally tend to look as far from 'able to bear children' as possible, boobs are the last remaining asset."

"So I'm doomed?" Alexis whined. "And why do you know that?"

"You're not doomed," Kate chuckled. "And your Dad told me that, I think," she continued, looking back on a foggy memory of the aftermath of one of the few times she'd socked him for his roving eye. "But you know what he said after that?" she prompted, remembering.

"What?" Alexis replied quietly, her voice suddenly soft as it always was when they shared memories of Rick, especially new ones.

"He said that while there were women with bigger breasts and bigger butts, there was only one me, and my breasts and butt and face and mind were perfect. He might look, but the only woman he wanted to talk to, kiss, touch and love, was me."

Alexis let out a slow breath and squeezed Kate's hands as they looked at each other in the mirror. "He really, really loved you, you know?"

Kate smiled and nodded, resting her head against the top of Alexis'. "I loved him right back."

"Does…" she bit her lip but then Kate watched her set her mind to it. "Does Tyler say the same?"

Kate pressed her cheek to Alexis' hair. Tyler was a skilled lover. He knew the female body and enjoyed Kate. She enjoyed him as well, but he wasn't the same. No one was, and she was fairly certain that no one would be. Tyler could touch her and make her feel, but Rick could positively ignite her. After their third or fourth time together, he'd found almost every place on her body that was made to feel anything, and knew just how to get every single one to the highest possibly level. And he'd loved her breasts, and her butt, and the little beauty mark under her eye, and the way she squirmed when he accidentally tickled her. He'd made a point of doing that every time, making her laugh at unexpected moments.

So yes, Tyler might say the same, and certainly professed her beauty enough. But was it really what Rick had meant?

"Tyler thinks I'm beautiful, Alexis, and I know he's not…engaging with any other sets of breasts."

"But it's not the same?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. "This is an odd conversation," she added.

Kate laughed. "Yeah, but it's us. We can talk about anything." She watched Alexis smile. "And no, honey, it's not the same. Tyler's great, but you know he's not your Dad."

"And…and do you think that you'll ever feel the same way about him?" she whispered, in an echo of a conversation they'd had before.

Kate hugged her close and met her eyes in the mirror. "I will never love anyone the way I loved your father, Alexis," she said quietly, waiting for Alexis' nod. "I may find love again."

"I want you to," Alexis whispered, surprising her.

"Thank you," Kate said, twining their hands together. "But even if I do, it won't be the same. Your father was special to me, Alexis. And even if I get married someday, and have children, and give you little siblings, no one will ever take your Dad's place in my heart. Okay?"

"Okay," Alexis breathed.

They stared at each other for a long moment, before Kate decided that they'd had enough serious talk, and it was definitely time for some girl time. It heartened her to know that they could talk about Rick this way, without shedding tears. She missed him, but in some way, this moment wasn't heartbreaking. She had a feeling that, if he'd lived, somewhere down the line, she'd have had this exact conversation with Alexis, and would have used the same line. Rick might have threatened to go shoot the little punk, but her and Alexis? They were still them. They missed their absent third member, but it had been girls together from the start, and nothing would ever change that.

"Now, about you wanting to look like me," Kate began, laughing as Alexis sighed. "You're gorgeous, Alexis. You've got amazing hair, and beautiful eyes, porcelain skin and a fabulous body. And yes, someday, I promise, you will have boobs," she added, smiling as Alexis let out a small giggle. "But you have no reason to want to look differently from how you do now. And any stupid boy who can't see how incredible you are isn't worth even a second of your time."

"But you're gorgeous," Alexis whispered.

"And so are you," Kate whispered back. "We may look different, but I think we're pretty similar, you and me."

"Yeah?"

"What do you see when you look at us?" Kate asked, finding her eyes in the mirror again.

"My stunning Mom, and the teenager she's hugging," Alexis mumbled.

Kate sighed and tickled her a little, watching as she laughed. "Do you know what I see?" Alexis shrugged. "I see two strong, independent, smart, funny, beautiful women. And the shorter one? The red-head with the great skin and dazzling smile? When I look at her? I see this amazing future, and a guy who will bring her the moon if she asks for it."

Alexis considered her. "You really think I'll find him?"

"Alexis, I have no doubt that you will find your perfect guy. You may find more than one along the way, but you? Honey," she turned Alexis around so they were face to face. "You're gonna knock 'em dead, and they won't even know what hit 'em."

Alexis searched her eyes for a moment before giving a very small nod and wrapping her arms around Kate's neck, burying her head into her shoulder. Kate smiled and held her close—her daughter who was growing up too fast and becoming so amazing. She glanced up at the ceiling, toward a Heaven she'd never decided if she believed in. But she looked up anyway, hoping Rick was somewhere, watching them and grinning, while her mother wrestled the bat away from him. Their daughter was perfect, and even though Rick wasn't there to see it, they would be okay. It was girls together, and they'd make it through these teenage years. And plus, Kate had always kind of wanted to intimidate a boy for her daughter. Her father had gotten such joy out of it.

She'd have to make sure to do Rick proud. Then again, that shouldn't be too hard. Hadn't he always said that she was the scary one? She did carry the gun, after all.


End file.
